Auxiliary cradle for telephones



Dec. 12, 1961 H. D. LocKARD AUXILIARY CRADLE FOR TELEPHONES Filed April25, 1960 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY HAROLD 3,613,128 AUXILIARY CRADLE FR TELEPHONES Harold D.Lockard, Downey, Calif., assigner to Lockard Tool & Engineering Co.,Lynwood, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Apr. 25, 1960, Ser.No. 24,358 4 Claims. (Ci. 179-146) This invention relates to anauxiliary cradle for telephones of the table or desk model.

The present invention has for an object to provide a novel rest for atelephone handpiece to provide means for cradling or supporting suchhandpiece in a convenient manner during an open circuit condition of thetelephone so that the user may hold a cali while attending to otherduties. The support obviates make-shift handling of the instrument suchas may cause damage thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterreferred to that is held gravitationally in operative position withoutthe need for securing means. Thus, the present cradle s installed andremoved with easy facility.

My invention also has for its objects to provide such means that arepositive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a workingposition and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture,relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear inthe course of the following description and which is based on theaccompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and thefollowing description merely describes, one embodiment of the presentinvention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in theseveral views.

PIG. 1 is a top plan view of an auxiliary cradle according to thepresent invention and shown in operative position on a desk type oftelephone.

FIG. 2 is an end-view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view as seen from beneath.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged and fragmentary sectional view showing a detail ofthe cradle construction.

A conventional desk type of telephone is shown in the drawing indot-dash lines. The same ordinarily has a base 5, provided with a cradle6 from which protrude circuit-breaking buttons 7 that are depressed by ahandpiece or instrument 8 when the same is in the cradle 6. The cradle 6is defined by a forward set of posts 9 and a rearward set of posts 10,the hand-piece having a handgripping portion 11 that is retained againstdisplacement by said posts 9 and 10. The present auxiliary cradle 12 ismounted on the base 5, has hooking engagement with the rear posts andrests upon the rearwardly sloping face 13 of the base, as can best beseen in FIG. 2.

The cradle 12 is advantageously formed of molded plastic, the particulartype of plastic used being immaterial provided the same is hard, rigidand resistant to fracture. In fact, the type of plastic used for modernday telephones will serve quite well for the present cradle.

The cradle that is illustrated integrally comprises a bottom 14 of alength substantially the same as the length 3,013,123 Patented Dec. 12,1961 of cradle 6 of the base 5 and of a commensurate width, two rear,upwardly directed fingers 15 that are on a rearward slope and extendfrom the rear edge 16 of the bottom 14 from both ends thereof, twoforwardly and upwardly sloped arms 17 extending from the front edge 18of the bottom from both ends thereof, and a bottomopen hook or socket 19on the upper end of each arm and adapted to have hooking engagement withthe rear posts 10 of the telephone base 5. In the present case, eachsocket is defined by a top wall 20, a front hook wall 21, and a sidewall 22 that connects with the walls 20 and 21 and with the upper end ofthe arm 17. The side walls 22 are provided at the opposite ends of thecradle and the same cooperate to present lateral displacement of thecradle relative to the posts 10 by engaging the sides of said posts.Said side walls 22 also impart strength to the hooks 19 by resistingfiexure of the walls 21 which may fracture under such fiexure unlessresisted as by the walls 22.

Additional strength is imparted to the hooks 19 by providing a metalinsert 23 that extends with the upper end of each arm 17, within the topwalls 20 of each hook, and within the front hook walls 21. Such embeddedhook inserts may also extend within the side walls 22, as indicated.Thus, the entire weight of the cradle and a telephone hand-piece 8resting therein, is supported from the post 10 in a firm andnon-flexible manner because of the rigidity of the hooks 19.

It will be clear that the spaces between the ears 15 and between thearms 17 afford room for the Afingers of the hand when resting ahand-piece on the cradle and when removing a hand-piece therefrom. Also,the space between the arms 17 allows the fingers to grasp thehandgripping portion 11 of the hand-piece when the latter is beingplaced on or removed from the cradle 6.

The support that the bottom 14 has along the portion adjacent edge 18with the sloping face 13 of the base 5 provides a definite position forthe cradle which therefore has desired stability on the base 5 althoughnot secured thereto by pins, screws, etc.

While I have illustrated and described what I now contemplate to be thebest mode of carrying out my invention, the construction is, of course,subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope ofmy invention. Therefore, I do not wish to restrict myself to theparticular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire toavail myself of all modifications that may fall within the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. An auxiliary cradle for the handpiece of a telephone having a basethat is provided with transversely spaced posts that define the rear ofthe normal circuit-closing cradle of said telephone, said auxiliarycradle comprising a support member provided with two transversely spacedhooks adapted to engage over the mentioned posts on the telephone baseto hang from said posts in hand-piecesupporting position, and atransversed bottom extending from said hooks in a rearward direction,said bottom being provided with hand-piece-retaining ears that arearranged along the rearward edge-of the bottom.

2. An auxiliary cradle according to claim 1 in which each hook isprovided with a side wall to be disposed at the outer sides of ytheposts and to cooperate to prevent 4. An auxiliary cradle according toclaim 3 in which endwise displacement of the cradle relative to theposts. said walls, ears, arms and hooks are molded of rigid plas- 3. Anauxiliary cradle for a telephone hand-piece intic material, and a metalreinforcement embedded in the tegrally comprising a bottom wall,transversely spaced hooks and the outer side walls thereof. upturnedears at one edge of said wall, similarly spaced 5 l upstanding arms atthe opposite edge of said wall, and References Clted 1n the file 0f thlSpatent a hook on the end of each arm for hooking engagement UNITEDSTATES PATENTS over the rear cradle posts of a telephone base, each hookbeing provided with an outer side wall and the latter 1849277 Casb'moetal Mar' 135 walls cooperating to locate the cradle against lateraldis- 10 1955 placement relative to the posts of the base.

